46      THE PARIS PEACE CONFERENCE, 1919, VOLUME V


the following words: "prescribing the time and manner for securing
and discharging".
Article 3 as finally agreed to reads as follows:-
"The amount of such damage (as set forth in the specific categories
attached hereto) for which compensation is to be made by the Enemy
States, shall be determined by an Inter-Allied Commission, to be con-
stituted in such form as the Allied and Associated Governments shall
forthwith determine. This Commission shall examine into the claims
and give to the Enemy States a just opportunity to be heard. The
findings of the Commission as to the amount of damage defined as
above shall be concluded and notified to Germany [the Enemy States]'
on or before May 1st, 1921, as representing the extent of their obliga-
tions. The Commission shall concurrently draw up a schedule of pay-
ment prescribing the time and manner for securing and discharging
the entire obligation within a period of 30 years from May 1st, 1921.
In the event, however, that within the period mentioned, Germany
shall have failed to discharge her obligation, then any balance re-
maining unpaid may, within the discretion of the Commission, be
postponed for settlement in subsequent years: or may be handled
otherwise in such manner as the Allied and Associated Governments,
acting through the Commission, shall determine."
M. KLorz drew attention to the last sentence of Article 3 and en-
quired whether the Allied and Associated Governments would have
to be unanimous in giving their instructions to the Commission.
MR. DAVIS said that the experts had not attempted to settle that.
This sentence had only been inserted to meet M. Clemenceau's point
raised on Saturday that the Commission, as a Commission, should not
have too much power and that the Governments should retain power.
M. KLoTZ considered it important to settle the question of una-
nimity.
MR. DAVIS said that on this question of power it had throughout the
discussion on the Reparation Commission been agreed by the Amer-
ican, British, French and Italian experts that the Commission should
have powers to postpone the dates of payment.
MR. KLOTz insisted that the Commission's question was as to whether
the vote was to be a unanimous one or a majority vote.
MR. LAMONT said this was a point to be covered in the constitution
of the Commission which had not yet been dealt with.
M. CLEMENCEAU urged that if the Governments were agreed on the
principle, it would be better to settle it here and now.
MR. LLOYD GEORGE said that if, while principles were being dis-
cussed, details such as the composition and constitution of the Com-
mission and how it was to vote had to be settled, the Supreme Council
would never get to the end of its task.
1Brackets appear in the original minutes